Welcome To Suburbicon, Where Nothing Is What It Seems.

Left to right: Julianne Moore as Margaret and Matt Damon as Gardner in SUBURBICON, from Paramount Pictures and Black Bear Pictures.

Suburbicon is a film directed by George Clooney in which a quaint suburban town is brought into an uproar over certain untimely events. The story takes place in the 1950s and revolves around a family, Gardner and Rose Lodge, played by Matt Damon and Julianne Moore, and their son Nicky, who is played by Noah Jupe. While the town is consumed in gossip about the new neighbors that moved in next door, the Lodge family is victim to a home invasion that sends their lives into chaos.

Chaos could also be a word used to describe the plot of this film, Clooney and the other writers may have bit off more than they could chew and it showed as necessary information from the exposition was never explained or completely tossed out by the resolution. That’s not to say the story didn’t make sense or the script wasn’t good, but the film tried to tackle some large overarching themes that may have hit home better had they explained certain details as the story went on.

The story, in many ways, becomes predictable and in combination with the script, makes for a comedic undertone that has me almost question this movie’s “thriller” genre. Dark comedy may be a better suited home, as I found the audience to be laughing more than gasping or jumping. Clooney uses a bunch of satire to carry the script along, while Damon, Moore and the other actors were able to capture that same demeanor. Add a top notch musical score and this film was definitely entertaining through to the end.

There really wasn’t a moment of silence in the whole movie and that added perfectly to whatever suspense was left. I found myself on the edge of my seat, more out of curiosity for what could possibly happen next, but also continually drawn in by the orchestral sounds that seamlessly bound scenes together.

Although the plot may have been a tad overwhelming, the film does succeed in driving its message home, while continuing to entertain the audience until the credits rolled.

Matt Damon as Gardner in SUBURBICON, from Paramount Pictures and Black Bear Pictures.

Julianne Moore as Margaret in SUBURBICON, from Paramount Pictures and Black Bear Pictures.

Julianne Moore as Margaret in SUBURBICON, from Paramount Pictures and Black Bear Pictures.